Prevention Newsletters

Researchers upped the testosterone levels of a group of 46 men by applying a testosterone gel to their skin. A second group of men received a placebo gel. Then the guys all played a dice game where higher scores meant more cash. The catch? Each guy got to report his own score, giving him the opportunity to lie if he so desired.

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Turns out the higher-testosterone group did not so desire—researchers found that they lied less often than the guys who weren’t hopped up on hormones.

So, short of testing your guy with a dice game and lathering him with testosterone to see if he’s comfortable fibbing, how can you tell if you’re getting the runaround? It’s all about his body language, says Tonya Reiman, author of The Body Language of Dating.

Here are Reiman's top five signs someone's lying:

1. He blinks faster. "When we become overly apprehensive, we try to block out that which is causing our anxiety," Reiman says. A normal blink rate is about 17-20 blinks per minute; a fibber's blink rate could shoot up to 50.

2. He touches his face. Hand-to-face gestures are a subtle sign of blood flow changes, says Reiman. "For example, capillaries in their nose might expand, which gives them the feeling of an itch they must scratch."

3. ...and other sensitive spots. "When people are being deceptive, they tend to stroke themselves in order to pacify their feelings of anxiety," Reiman says. "This creates a sense of relief, because it lowers blood pressure and heart rate." Typical touch spots include areas loaded with nerve endings such as the thighs, earlobes, back of the neck, and arms.

4. He won't look at you. "If they normally look at you when they’re speaking but suddenly look in all other directions but you, they’re experiencing shame or discomfort at the discussion being held," Reiman says.

5. He swallows more. When we're anxious, saliva production and blood flow to the digestive tract decrease, leading to dry mouth. "You can see this when individuals suddenly start to swallow harder—swallowing becomes more difficult with lack of saliva," Reiman says.